To: Proximity Mobile Networking Team
From: Courtney Berg
Date: March 30, 2010
Subject: Focus Group Report
Rationale U.S. users of smart phones typically buy a subsidized handset from a particular cell phone provider. Consequently they must consider trade-offs between handset features and the price and quality of the cell network. The purpose of our focus groups is to determine what factors influence these decisions, and whether they are driven primarily by the choice of handset or the provider network. This information will let us better advise Proximity clients about which handsets and networks are most attractive to Gen-Y users.
Focus Group Session
The focus group session was held in my apartment on Sunday March 21, at 7pm and lasted until 8 pm. I conducted this focus group with 6 Gen Y students who live in my apartment complex. All 6 students attend Towson University.
Rebecca - BlackBerry Curve, 22, Advertising/Marketing, Employee at Pandora
Taylor - BlackBerry Tour, 21, Advertising/Public Relations
Matt - BlackBerry 21, Electronic Media and Film, Independent short film producer
Adam - iPhone, 21, Business Management/Finance, Intern at Financial firm
Jessica - iPhone, 21, Journalism/Broadcasting, Intern at ABC2 News
Dan - LG, Voyager, 19, Sports Management
Narrative Why did you purchase the handest that you currently have?
Ak: I used to have a Blackberry, and when the iPhone came out, I switched from my blackberry to an iPhone because I thought the iPhone was more innovative. I feel that the iPhone is better than the Blackberry, the only thing I miss is BBM.
Rc: I got the blackberry because it helped me stay connected with friends, and connected to the internet, it has BBM (an instant message), it’s a fast way to communicate with people, its an ongoing conversation, I like how I’m able to go on the internet and check my e-mail whenever I want.
Ak: Rebecca, if you think you can get thinks done quickly on the Bberry you should try the iphone, the internet speed is a lot faster, much quicker downloads, which makes the iPhone have a better internet connection
Rc: My friend has an iphone and I have a blackberry, and I like her applications better
Ms: I like my bberry because I can keep in touch with all my employees, but I think it would be beneficial to have an iPhone being that I produce videos, and iPhones can stream video much faster than bberrys
Tf: I originally bought my blackberry because it was easy to talk to people with bbm, I got it for a great price, and thought it was a great phone. When I went abroad last year my bberry was amazing, I was able to use my phone oversees for a minor price, and could talk to friends/family via BBM.
Ds: I bought my voager because I only needed a simple phone, and didn’t want to pay for an extra data plan. I wish I did have a smartphone because I don’t have any applications on my phone, I dislike my phone, it is a piece of shit. Its kind of annoying not having a Smartphone, because all of my friends at Towson have one. Eventually, if I can pursuade my dad to pay for a plan, I would definatley want to get a smartphone.
Jk: This year I switched from a ‘regular’ phone to a iPhone, it was the best decision I ever made. I use my iPhone for everything. I love it. I have so many applications that help me get through my days – I feel connected to the world, and I love the news so I am constantly checking my apps with news articles.
Rc: The only bad part about having a bberry/Smartphone is that you have to pay at lease 40$ a month extra solely for internet/email
Ds: yeah its very expensive
Rc: I only got a blackberry because my 2 best friends went abroad, and bberry was the only way I could keep in touch with them, it was amazing though because it was the only way I could stay connected with them
Did the reputation of your cell phone provider influence your decision?
Rc: I love Verizon
Ak: I hate at&t, calls drop every second, and I never have service
Ms: Verizon does a great job representing their company, and holds true to their values and is always willing to help customers
Ak: Verizons stock is a lot higher then at&t, and if verizon had the iPhone I would absolutely switch
JK and AK currenly have at&t and both are disappointed with the service
Those who have Verizon are very satisfied, and would not change to at&t solely for the iPhone – if iPhone comes to Verizon, most said they would switch
Those who have Verizon bberys also said they liked Verizon because the data cost is cheaper than what at&t offers.
What features and apps do you use?
Ak: I have about 4 pages of apps, I have this one game, doodle jumper, most addicting game on the iPhone,
Jk: my favorite applications are Facebook, NYtimes, CNN, huffington posts, various news articles
Cb: what other apps do you have that are not on the bberry
Ak: blackjack, bump, bump is great you just bump other iPhones and you can get their information
Rc: well we have barcodes on bberrys
Ak: I have chipotle, you can order chipotle right from your phone, I have knowcking video, its skype on the iphone
Cb: well that’s interesting, I saw that skype was forming a contract with Verizon, and skype would only be available on Verizon devices
Ak: I said its like skype, it is not the same thing as skype
Ds: I use the browser on mine
Cb: what type of browser do you have on your non smart phone?
Ds: I don’t know, its just an app that says browser
Cb: and do you get charged everytime you use your browser?
Ds: I don’t think I do because I am the main line on my account
Cb: and what do you use on your browser?
Ds: ESPN, to check scores
Ak: Theres an ESPN app on my iPhone
Rc: I use Facebook, my daily horoscope, google maps, twitter, and bing; Facebook is what I use most often, but its really bad because im constantly stalking in class
Ms: I like to use the weather bug because it gives me the weather
Ak: I use traffic.com – it tells me the traffic
Ms: I also use Facebook a lot, and brickbreaker
Tf: Google which includes, Gmail, Google Maps, and other google apps; I used to play brickbreaker until my ball broke on my bberry
Cb: that brings us to our next question….
Do you have issues with your phones?
Ms: the biggest issue is the scrolly ball on the bberry, because sometimes it doesn’t scroll, but I think its because I got suntan lotion in it
Tf: I have for security purposes a password on my phone, and about a month ago, my entire phone got wiped out because the password changed after 10 attempts to put in the correct password; and the ball just sucks, and also the new batteries for all the Verizon phone are terrible and do not last
Ms: I thought it was only my battery
Rc: Me too, the batteries are awful on bberrys
Ak: I am completely satisfied with my device, I never have to worry about a broken ball, I do have to say the only complain I have is the typing takes a little time to get used too, the keyboard is heat sensitive to your fingers. The one great thing about iPhone, is if anything happens, Apple will give you a brand new one, even if the phone is cracked in half, no questions asked
Tf: Wow, that’s awesome, I have had so many problems with Verizon when having a broken phone, but in the end they have always worked with me, and either given me a new phone, or a refurbished one, depending on the circumstances
Rc: Um I am satisfised, but at first I had the blackberry storm, it was horrible and I hated it; it always froze up, it always said I needed a software upgrade, and I could never prove it to them in the store, so they would never help me in the store, so I had to downgrade to my dads world edition, and then when I saved enough money I could buy myself the blackberry curve, I am now complletly satisfied with the curve
Ds: I am satisfied, it works, I only use it for what a cell phone should be used for which is calling and texting, and my device always work. Although I would like a smartphone, I feel as if it is so advanced, that there are countless problems with the device constantly, with my ‘regular’ phone, I never have any problems because it is so simple
Rc: we have like mini computers, I don’t like that I am always available to everyone
Ak: the blackberry issue is that with BBM you can see when a message is read, delivered, etc… One thing I hate about the bberry, one of the main reasons I switched is it is so stalkerish that on BBM you can see when someone reads a message, sometimes I like to read a message and not respond immediately
Jk: I feel that the iphone is better, because its everything that a blackberry has without the stalking. I am150% satisfied with my phone, I would not change anything, and am not planning on switching to a different device
Ak: I would one thing, we need a flash on the camera, and I would rather not have at&t as my service
Ds: but iPhone is going to Verizon this summer
Ak: and once that happens, blackberrys will be on the market, but will be one of those phones that you never hear about
Ms: once the iphones contract ends with at&t, and Verizon has access to the iPhone, there will no longer be at&t, at&t will no longer have any customers because of their poor service
Ak: I completely agree, Verizon will become a powerhouse, and then at&t will be done, this will definitely happen within the next 5 years
Are you satisfied with your service? Would you renew your contract?
Ak: no, I am not satisfied with at&t at all, I would like to switch to Verizon if they have the iphone as soon as my contract is up
Jk: I am not 100% satisfied with at&t, but I am satisfied with my iPhone
Ak: if iphone comes to Verizon, I would not renew my contract with at&t
Ds: I would renew my contract, but I would like a different phone, I would probably choose the iPhone, if it went to Verizon
Ak: what about the aweosome other phones other than the bbery and iphone
Ds: no, my brother said the droid sucks, I would choose the iphone
Rc: if iphone came to Verizon, I would definitely switch to iPhone
Ak: another problem with at&t is when you go to Mexico, they do not offer any more plans, you are paying 59 cents for texts in and out, and 1.39 for each megabyte of internet
Ms: I just came back form mexico, and was able to use my Verizon phone for free to BBM while I was in mexico, fortunately my family and friends all have blackberrys so I was able to contact the people I needed to speak too. They also have blackberry groups, that you can talk to all of your friends within a group, basically like a chatroom on blackberry
Ak: I must say, I do think I will switch back to Bberry on my next phone
Ms: you were just such a hypocrit for the past 30 minutes
Ak: I know, but I am such a stalker, and I love BBM
Ds: my voyager sucks
Rc: I love my blackberry
Findings Throughout my focus group, it was evident that the Gen Y users all purchased their phone, primarily because it was their own phone of choice. The majority of the users are quite happy with their phones, but service providers seemed to play a big role in disappointment. The 2 users who currently have AT&T, solely have it because they are iPhone users - the day iPhone comes to Verizon, they are planning on making the switch. The prior findings makes it clear that Gen Y users are typically more concerned abut their phone than the quality of service. The session also revealed that Gen Y users, primarily are smartphone users because of the applications these phones have to offer; they rely on their smart phones for communicating via E-mail and BBM (for Blackberry users). The 5 Gen Y users who currently have iPhones of Blackberrys could not imagine their lives without their devices, the one user who currently has a Voyager, is waiting for the day his father will allow him to make the switch.
To: Proximity Mobile Networking Team
From: Courtney Berg
Date: March 30, 2010
Subject: Focus Group Report
Rationale
U.S. users of smart phones typically buy a subsidized handset from a particular cell phone provider. Consequently they must consider trade-offs between handset features and the price and quality of the cell network. The purpose of our focus groups is to determine what factors influence these decisions, and whether they are driven primarily by the choice of handset or the provider network. This information will let us better advise Proximity clients about which handsets and networks are most attractive to Gen-Y users.
Focus Group Session
The focus group session was held in my apartment on Sunday March 21, at 7pm and lasted until 8 pm. I conducted this focus group with 6 Gen Y students who live in my apartment complex. All 6 students attend Towson University.
Rebecca - BlackBerry Curve, 22, Advertising/Marketing, Employee at Pandora
Taylor - BlackBerry Tour, 21, Advertising/Public Relations
Matt - BlackBerry 21, Electronic Media and Film, Independent short film producer
Adam - iPhone, 21, Business Management/Finance, Intern at Financial firm
Jessica - iPhone, 21, Journalism/Broadcasting, Intern at ABC2 News
Dan - LG, Voyager, 19, Sports Management
Narrative
Why did you purchase the handest that you currently have?
Ak: I used to have a Blackberry, and when the iPhone came out, I switched from my blackberry to an iPhone because I thought the iPhone was more innovative. I feel that the iPhone is better than the Blackberry, the only thing I miss is BBM.
Rc: I got the blackberry because it helped me stay connected with friends, and connected to the internet, it has BBM (an instant message), it’s a fast way to communicate with people, its an ongoing conversation, I like how I’m able to go on the internet and check my e-mail whenever I want.
Ak: Rebecca, if you think you can get thinks done quickly on the Bberry you should try the iphone, the internet speed is a lot faster, much quicker downloads, which makes the iPhone have a better internet connection
Rc: My friend has an iphone and I have a blackberry, and I like her applications better
Ms: I like my bberry because I can keep in touch with all my employees, but I think it would be beneficial to have an iPhone being that I produce videos, and iPhones can stream video much faster than bberrys
Tf: I originally bought my blackberry because it was easy to talk to people with bbm, I got it for a great price, and thought it was a great phone. When I went abroad last year my bberry was amazing, I was able to use my phone oversees for a minor price, and could talk to friends/family via BBM.
Ds: I bought my voager because I only needed a simple phone, and didn’t want to pay for an extra data plan. I wish I did have a smartphone because I don’t have any applications on my phone, I dislike my phone, it is a piece of shit. Its kind of annoying not having a Smartphone, because all of my friends at Towson have one. Eventually, if I can pursuade my dad to pay for a plan, I would definatley want to get a smartphone.
Jk: This year I switched from a ‘regular’ phone to a iPhone, it was the best decision I ever made. I use my iPhone for everything. I love it. I have so many applications that help me get through my days – I feel connected to the world, and I love the news so I am constantly checking my apps with news articles.
Rc: The only bad part about having a bberry/Smartphone is that you have to pay at lease 40$ a month extra solely for internet/email
Ds: yeah its very expensive
Rc: I only got a blackberry because my 2 best friends went abroad, and bberry was the only way I could keep in touch with them, it was amazing though because it was the only way I could stay connected with them
Did the reputation of your cell phone provider influence your decision?
Rc: I love Verizon
Ak: I hate at&t, calls drop every second, and I never have service
Ms: Verizon does a great job representing their company, and holds true to their values and is always willing to help customers
Ak: Verizons stock is a lot higher then at&t, and if verizon had the iPhone I would absolutely switch
What features and apps do you use?
Ak: I have about 4 pages of apps, I have this one game, doodle jumper, most addicting game on the iPhone,
Jk: my favorite applications are Facebook, NYtimes, CNN, huffington posts, various news articles
Cb: what other apps do you have that are not on the bberry
Ak: blackjack, bump, bump is great you just bump other iPhones and you can get their information
Rc: well we have barcodes on bberrys
Ak: I have chipotle, you can order chipotle right from your phone, I have knowcking video, its skype on the iphone
Cb: well that’s interesting, I saw that skype was forming a contract with Verizon, and skype would only be available on Verizon devices
Ak: I said its like skype, it is not the same thing as skype
Ds: I use the browser on mine
Cb: what type of browser do you have on your non smart phone?
Ds: I don’t know, its just an app that says browser
Cb: and do you get charged everytime you use your browser?
Ds: I don’t think I do because I am the main line on my account
Cb: and what do you use on your browser?
Ds: ESPN, to check scores
Ak: Theres an ESPN app on my iPhone
Rc: I use Facebook, my daily horoscope, google maps, twitter, and bing; Facebook is what I use most often, but its really bad because im constantly stalking in class
Ms: I like to use the weather bug because it gives me the weather
Ak: I use traffic.com – it tells me the traffic
Ms: I also use Facebook a lot, and brickbreaker
Tf: Google which includes, Gmail, Google Maps, and other google apps; I used to play brickbreaker until my ball broke on my bberry
Cb: that brings us to our next question….
Do you have issues with your phones?
Ms: the biggest issue is the scrolly ball on the bberry, because sometimes it doesn’t scroll, but I think its because I got suntan lotion in it
Tf: I have for security purposes a password on my phone, and about a month ago, my entire phone got wiped out because the password changed after 10 attempts to put in the correct password; and the ball just sucks, and also the new batteries for all the Verizon phone are terrible and do not last
Ms: I thought it was only my battery
Rc: Me too, the batteries are awful on bberrys
Ak: I am completely satisfied with my device, I never have to worry about a broken ball, I do have to say the only complain I have is the typing takes a little time to get used too, the keyboard is heat sensitive to your fingers. The one great thing about iPhone, is if anything happens, Apple will give you a brand new one, even if the phone is cracked in half, no questions asked
Tf: Wow, that’s awesome, I have had so many problems with Verizon when having a broken phone, but in the end they have always worked with me, and either given me a new phone, or a refurbished one, depending on the circumstances
Rc: Um I am satisfised, but at first I had the blackberry storm, it was horrible and I hated it; it always froze up, it always said I needed a software upgrade, and I could never prove it to them in the store, so they would never help me in the store, so I had to downgrade to my dads world edition, and then when I saved enough money I could buy myself the blackberry curve, I am now complletly satisfied with the curve
Ds: I am satisfied, it works, I only use it for what a cell phone should be used for which is calling and texting, and my device always work. Although I would like a smartphone, I feel as if it is so advanced, that there are countless problems with the device constantly, with my ‘regular’ phone, I never have any problems because it is so simple
Rc: we have like mini computers, I don’t like that I am always available to everyone
Ak: the blackberry issue is that with BBM you can see when a message is read, delivered, etc… One thing I hate about the bberry, one of the main reasons I switched is it is so stalkerish that on BBM you can see when someone reads a message, sometimes I like to read a message and not respond immediately
Jk: I feel that the iphone is better, because its everything that a blackberry has without the stalking. I am150% satisfied with my phone, I would not change anything, and am not planning on switching to a different device
Ak: I would one thing, we need a flash on the camera, and I would rather not have at&t as my service
Ds: but iPhone is going to Verizon this summer
Ak: and once that happens, blackberrys will be on the market, but will be one of those phones that you never hear about
Ms: once the iphones contract ends with at&t, and Verizon has access to the iPhone, there will no longer be at&t, at&t will no longer have any customers because of their poor service
Ak: I completely agree, Verizon will become a powerhouse, and then at&t will be done, this will definitely happen within the next 5 years
Are you satisfied with your service? Would you renew your contract?
Ak: no, I am not satisfied with at&t at all, I would like to switch to Verizon if they have the iphone as soon as my contract is up
Jk: I am not 100% satisfied with at&t, but I am satisfied with my iPhone
Ak: if iphone comes to Verizon, I would not renew my contract with at&t
Ds: I would renew my contract, but I would like a different phone, I would probably choose the iPhone, if it went to Verizon
Ak: what about the aweosome other phones other than the bbery and iphone
Ds: no, my brother said the droid sucks, I would choose the iphone
Rc: if iphone came to Verizon, I would definitely switch to iPhone
Ak: another problem with at&t is when you go to Mexico, they do not offer any more plans, you are paying 59 cents for texts in and out, and 1.39 for each megabyte of internet
Ms: I just came back form mexico, and was able to use my Verizon phone for free to BBM while I was in mexico, fortunately my family and friends all have blackberrys so I was able to contact the people I needed to speak too. They also have blackberry groups, that you can talk to all of your friends within a group, basically like a chatroom on blackberry
Ak: I must say, I do think I will switch back to Bberry on my next phone
Ms: you were just such a hypocrit for the past 30 minutes
Ak: I know, but I am such a stalker, and I love BBM
Ds: my voyager sucks
Rc: I love my blackberry
Findings
Throughout my focus group, it was evident that the Gen Y users all purchased their phone, primarily because it was their own phone of choice. The majority of the users are quite happy with their phones, but service providers seemed to play a big role in disappointment. The 2 users who currently have AT&T, solely have it because they are iPhone users - the day iPhone comes to Verizon, they are planning on making the switch. The prior findings makes it clear that Gen Y users are typically more concerned abut their phone than the quality of service. The session also revealed that Gen Y users, primarily are smartphone users because of the applications these phones have to offer; they rely on their smart phones for communicating via E-mail and BBM (for Blackberry users). The 5 Gen Y users who currently have iPhones of Blackberrys could not imagine their lives without their devices, the one user who currently has a Voyager, is waiting for the day his father will allow him to make the switch.